The advancement of modern technology has produced more and more electronic products that can enhance the quality and comfort of people's life. However, ordinary electronic products, such as hubs, personal computers and blade servers, all of the above employs a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a light indicator to provide users with information of the electronic products.
Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, conventional hubs 10, 11, 12 comprise twelve, twenty-four or forty-eight network ports 102, 112, 122 (e.g. RJ-45 ports). Therefore, for the hubs 10, 11, 12 having high density network ports 102, 112, 122, the number of light indicators 101, 111, 121 disposed thereon for indicating the statuses of the corresponding network ports 102, 112, 122 increases correspondingly. It is thus difficult for users to realize the statuses of the network ports 102, 112, 122 of the hubs 10, 11, 12 at the first glance of the light indicators 101, 111, 121.
Referring again to FIG. 1, a panel 103 of the hub 10 comprises a plurality of upper row network ports 102 and a plurality of lower row network ports 102 adjacent and below the upper row network ports 102. In addition, the panel 103 comprises two light indicators 101 disposed above each of the upper row network port 102. The two light indicators 101 emit light indicating the statuses of the upper row and the lower row network ports 102, respectively. However, the light indicator 101 can only provide very limited information of the network ports 102 of the hub, even by using light indicators of two colors or three colors.
Referring again to FIG. 2, a panel 113 of the hub 11 comprises a plurality of upper row network ports 112 and a plurality of lower row network ports 112 adjacent and below the upper row network ports 112. In addition, the panel 113 comprises two light indicators 111 disposed at two upper corners of each the upper row network port 112 respectively. The two light indicators 111 emit light indicating the statuses of the upper row and the lower row network ports 112, respectively. If the light indicators 111 are of two-color or three-color light indicators, then six or nine different light emission statuses can be provided. However, each of the network port 112 of the hub 11 provides very limited space for disposing the light indicators 111. Therefore, the structure of the network ports 112 becomes very complicated, which will increase the manufacturing cost. In addition, since the network ports 112 and the light indicators 111 are combined together, the number of pins on each individual network port 112 is increased, thereby rendering many layout problems. For example, the number of layers of the circuit board of the hub 11 should increase in order to allow the upper row and the lower row network ports 112, and the light indicators 111 to work properly.
Further, referring again to FIG. 3, a panel 123 of the hub 12 comprises a plurality of upper row network ports 122 and a plurality of lower row network ports 122 adjacent and below the upper row network ports 122. In addition, the panel 123 comprises four light indicators 121 above each of the upper row network port 122. Two of the four light indicators 121 emit light indicating the statuses of the upper row network ports 122, while the other two light indicators 121 emit light indicating the statuses of the low row network ports 122. However, the light indicators 121 are tightly arranged together, which leaves only a very small distance between the light indicators 121. Therefore, the information shown on the light indicators 121 of the hub 12 is very hard to recognize. In addition, there is spill light interference between the light indicators 121. Consequently, it is likely that a user tends to read an erroneous light emission status. For this reason, it is deemed necessary to develop a hub that allows a plurality of light indicators to densely be disposed thereon.